CPA Resources
CPA Resources

CPA mobility bill passed in Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, April 7, 2008 -- Maryland has jumped aboard the CPA mobility bandwagon.

The CPA profession's most important bill of 2008 -- House Bill 1296, a mobility bill that would make it easier for CPAs to cross state lines to do business -- was passed by the full Senate on April 7 with less than two hours left in the Maryland General Assembly's 2008 session.

The bill now awaits Gov. Martin O'Malley's signature.

The bill had been held up in the Senate's Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee and was in danger of dying there. But the MACPA -- whose members have identified mobility as one of their top priorities -- wasn't about to let that happen. Members of the MACPA's legislative team urged CPAs to write to members of the committee in search of a favorable vote, and the association's members answered the call. The bill was voted out of committee with less than nine hours left in the session, and the full Senate passed the bill just prior to the midnight deadline.

"We were successful due to the tremendous grassroots support of our members," said MACPA Executive Director Tom Hood. "We had two panels of CPAs come down for the hearing to testify, including two former State Board chairmen (Wes Johnson and Les Mostow), and we presented overwhelming evidence on why this could work.In addition, more than 100 letters were sent to (lawmakers) explaining the reasons why this mobility issue is so important to (CPAs). From sole practitioners to Big Four CPA firms, the letters outlined the issues and urged legislators to act, and they did."

Assuming O'Malley signs the bill into law, Maryland now becomes the 18th state in the nation to enact mobility legislation, joining Illinois, Indiana, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Another 16 states have mobility legislation pending. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.